The Pentagon

The tour of the world's largest office building is conducted with military precision. After a brisk one-and-a-half-mile walk through the Pentagon's winding corridors, with brief stops along the way to admire artwork depicting historic battles, portraits of famous generals and educational displays, visitors leave the building confident in our armed forces and amazed at the ability of anyone who works at the Pentagon to navigate the building.

Our guide said that questions run the gamut from "Where do you keep the aliens?" to "Why isn't my battle unit represented?" One Danish visitor asked about the civilian chain of command and the cruising speed of our nuclear submarines. The answer on the latter: "We're not telling."

We did learn, however, that roughly half of the Defense secretaries have served in the military, that Jacqueline Kennedy suggested changing the color of Air Force One from gray to light blue, and that Gen. Douglas MacArthur received two Purple Hearts.

Tour stops include the Pentagon chapel; the various service corridors; displays honoring the Tuskegee airmen (World War II black aviators), Navajo code talkers and women soldiers; and the Hall of Heroes devoted to Medal of Honor recipients. The only woman to receive the Medal of Honor was Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a Union Army surgeon who was held captive by Confederate soldiers for four months.

• Items of interest at the Pentagon store:
• Air Force One model play set;
• camouflage shirts and caps;
• and "Run to Cadence" cassette tapes featuring the U.S. Navy Seals, women Marines and Airborne Rangers.

Pentagon
www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pentagon/
Guided hourly tour Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
30 persons per tour (703) 695-1776 Send group tour requests to: tourschd@osd.pentagon.mil

Parking in the Hayes St. commercial parking lot, 700 Army-Navy Dr., Pentagon City, Va. (Pentagon subway stop-Blue and Yellow lines)